Automobile door locking structure



` June 24, 1941 E. D. DALL 2,246,790

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOOKING STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 17, 1940 fig l ig. 2

21 ZVEI-225:?"

` "Patented .lime 24, `1941 f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i snrosroms notrrgzmdsrnucms `Euhm-an. nan, neuen, man mmmt neu- `chille-Hershey corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Michigan My invention relatesio door locking structure adapted particularly for the individuall locking of the doors of vehicles such as automobiles.` `The invention is particularlyV useful in connection with locksoi the rockinglatch bolt'type in which the latch bolt, whenin latching position, is engaged by spring pressed cam or wedge members which tend` to keep on rockingv the latch bolt until` any slack or loose motion ofthe door is taken up so `that the door will be heldtightly in closed position againstsealing or packing material provided on the seating ledges on the door A `lock structure oi this type is disclosed in my copending application, Serial filed February28, 1940. l l, l

In `the lock structure such as disclosed in my copending application, thewedgingmembers, at

ltheir front and back edges, engage front and back guide walls which guide the wedge members in theirvertical movement for application l of their wedging surfaces tothe latch boit. I

have found that, while the `vehicle is running, and the doors are more or lessagithted or vihrated.` the wedging members which are urged No.v 321,150,

referred to and have applied thereto the wedgl ing member cushioning means.

y 0n the drawing:

Figure 1 is a iront elevation of the lock struc l ture showing the wedging members in wedging engagement with the latch bolt;

Figure 2 is aview similar to Figure ibut Figure 3 is an elevation of the keeper on `the f door lamb and with the latch bolt supporting into wedging engagement by springs, will exert unduepressure `against `the latch bolt and will tend to become set or stuckbytheir frictional engagement `with "the latch boit and the guide walls so that considerable and unnecessary effort is necessary on the door handles for effect ing release of the wedging members for unlatching of the door. Furthermore, such unnecessary wedging force will eventuallycause the door to be forced against `its seating ledges to exert unnecessary pressure against the sealing material or resiliency and will deteriorate.

'Ihe important object of my invention'is therefore to provide simple and edective vmeans for preventing such sticking` action and to `permit the wedging` membersto be easily released by housing m'longitudinn section; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on plane IV--IVV Flgurelw The housing for the lock structure comprises the base wall it `which is secured to the door in the flange wall Il and the outer wall of the housing l2.` The latch bolt has the inwardly extending arcuate abutment I1 which projects through the arcuate "slot I8 in the wall ll.

The wedging structure ior the latch bolt is shown ascomprising outer and inner wedge members i! and 2l respectively the wedging wings ll and llwhose outer inclined edges so that the sealingY material will lose its elasticity are cooperable with the `rear end of the latch bolt abutment i1. The outer wedging member has the upwardly and downwardly extending guide arms 23 and 2l respectively and the inner wedging member 22 has the upwardly and downwardly extending guide arms 2l and 2l respectively. w

The wedging `members are guided in a frame comprising the plate 11 having the upper front and back guide walls 2l and 29 deiiected theremanipulation of thedoor handle. I accomplish" this by providing resilient backing for the wedging members, preferably springs interposed bel tween the back edges of the `wedge members and the back guide walls, so that. while the wedge members are shifted longitudinally to l apply wedglng action against the latch`bolt,the wedging members may move suiiiciently transversely and the wedging action is cushioned without in terfering with the eiiicient wedglng of the latch bolt for full closure and sealing ofthe doors.

On the drawing I` have shown a lock structure such as disclosed in my copending application from and secured to the nange wall Il, and the lower front and back guide walls lli and Il deflected therefrom and secured to the ilange wall il. As clearly shown on Figure 4, the front and bach guide walls may be secured to the plate by the extension of ears l2 thereon through opening Il in the nange wall Il.` 'I'he upper front and back guide walls 28 and 29 receive between them thegupper legs 23 and 25 of the outer and inner 'dredging` memberrespectively, while the lower front and back guide walls and ll receive between them the lower arms ligand It of the outer and inner wedging members re spectively. Spiral springs t4 and I5 `anchored on the flange wall II engage against the upper ends of the outer and inner wedging members and tend to urge these members downwardly for engagement of the wedging members with the latch bolt abutment I1. A spring 36 anchored on the guide frame 21 engages a pin 31 on the abutment I1 and this spring tends to move the latch bolt to its unlatching or cocked position with the abutment I1 abutting the inner end of the slot I8. This cocked position of the latch bolt is shown on Figure 3, and in this cocked position the latch bolt abutment l1 will be below and engaged by the lower edges of the wedge member wings 2I and 22 so that the wedge members will be held in their upper positions against the force of the springs 34 and 35. When the door is moved to closed position and the housing I2 for the latch bolt enters and passes through the keeper K mounted on the door jamb, the setting leg I5 of the latch bolt will encounter the outer end of the latch abutment 38 on the keeper and the latch bolt will be. rocked for engagement of its latching arm I4 with the inner end of the keeper abutment 38. As the latch bolt is rocked into latching engagement with the keeper, its abutment I1 is withdrawn from below the wedge wings of the wedging member and the springs 34 and 35 will then force the wedging members downwardly with their front wedging edges against the rear end of the abutment so that the latch bolt is further urged in latching direction to fully seat the door against the sealing material on the door frame.

Suitable means, such as that disclosed in my copending application herein before referred to, may be employed for releasing the wedging members from the latch bolt so that the door may be unlatched and opened. As shown, a rollback l! is mounted on the spindle 40 for a handle (not shown) on the door and this roll-back is engageable with a link 4I which is pivoted at `ll to one end of a releasing lever 42 pivoted intermediate its ends on the wall I0 as indicated at 4I, the lever at its lower end having the abutment lip M below the outer wedging member I! so that when the handle is turned and the lever l2 rocked, the abutment lip M will engage with the outer wedging member I9 for raising thereof. This outer wedging member at its lower end has an abutment lip 45 below the end of the inner wedging member and as the outer wedging member is raised, `this lip will engage with ythe inner wedging member and both wedging members will be raised to their upper position f or raising their wedging wings above the path of the latch bolt abutment I1 so that the spring I5 may .restore the latch bolt tol its unlatched or cocked position. Then upon release of the han'- dle, the springs 34 and 35 will reset the wedging members for engagement of their wedging wings against the upper side of the latch bolt abutment so that this frictional and pressure engagement will tend to hold the latch bolt in its cocked position.

'I'he drawing also shows a safety latch plate 4I in the guide frame 21 behind the wedgin members, this safety latch plate having a tooth or projection 41 for entering a notch 4l in the latch bolt abutment I1 when the latch bolt is in its cocked position, a spring I8 yieldably holding the safety latch plate in this position. This safety latch bolt and its operation is fully disclosed and described in my copending application referred to. It has an extension 48 through the' flange wall II and into the latch bolt housing I2 and when the door is swung toward closed position. this extension I9 encounters the lower wall of the keeper K and the safety latch bolt is raised to release the main latch bolt so that it may enter into latching engagement with the keeper. This safety latch bolt thus positively holds the latch bolt in its cocked position when the door is open and does not release it until the main latch bolt is about to enter into latchins engagement with the keeper.

In the arrangement disclosed in my copending application referred to, the back edges of the wedging members would bear directly against, the back guide walls 29 and 3l respectively on the guide frame 21, such bearing engagement being unyieldable. With such arrangement, when the latch bolt is latched and the wedging members are forced downwardly by their springs, the weding pressure will force the wedging members transversely with considerable lpressure engagement .at their back edges against the back guide walls 28 and 3| and. as the vehicle travels and the door is jarred, and the wedging members are being forced downwardly by their springs, the wedging members themselves will become more o r less wedged betweenv the end of the latch bolt abutment and the back guide walls 28 and Il of the guide frame 21 and the wedges will tend to stick so that considerable unnecessary exertion is required on the door handle or other releasing control for effecting release of the wedging members from the latch bolt abutment so that the latch bolt may be released for opening of the door. The main purpose of my invention ig therefore to eliminate sticking of the wedging members without in anywise interfering with their proper wedging operation of the latch bolt. As shown on the drawing, a simple arrangement is to provide resilient backing for the wedge members, preferably in the form of springs. As shown,a bowed leaf spring 50 is interposed between the upper back guide wall 29 and the back edges of the wdging members, and a similar spring II isinter-posed between the back guide wall II and the back edges of the wedging members. These springs may be readily held in position by deecting their'ends 52 to extend across the upper and lower edges of the walls 2 and II respectively. With these resilient backings or cushions in the form of springs, the wedge members may yield slightly transversely as their wedging wings are forced into wedging engagement with the latch bolt abutment and wedging or sticking of the wedging members between the latch bolt abutment and the guide frame 21 will be eliminated. Furthermore, by the engagement of the back edges of the wedging members with the bowed backing springs, the friction will be materially reduced, the net result being that the wedge members may at all times be restored to their latch bolt releasing position by ordinary exertion on the door handle or other releasing controls. Furthermore, with my improved arrangement, the wedging members cannot cause the exertion of over pressure of the door against the door sealing strips whichl would tend to destroy the resiliency and sealing characteristics of the strips.

I thus provide simple and efficient means, in vlock structure of the type described, for easing and' cushioning the operation of the latch bolt wedging members so that such members may be released for door opening without undue exertion' on the door handles or other controls. I do not, however, desire to be limited to the exact conwedging engagement and upon vibration of said l member in service on a vehicle.

2. A vehicle door latching structure comprising a latch bolt for the door, for cooperation with v a keeper, to be rocked to latching engagement when the door is swung toward closed position, v

a guide frame having longitudinally spaced abutment members. an elongated and longitudinally ment when the door is swung toward closed po- Y sition, a guide frame having longitudinally spaced abutment members, an elongated and longitudinally shiftable wedging member movable in said frame and having the back edge of its end portions disposed in opposed relation to said abutment members, said wedging member being arranged with its front edge of a portion thereof `intermediate said end portions engageable laterally against said latch bolt for causing further rocking thereof for complete tight closure or the door. a spring engaging said wedging member to move it longitudinally into wedging engagement with said latch bolt. and spring means engaging said end portions of said fwedging member and normally urging the back edge of said end portions into spaced relation to said abutments to oppose the tendency of said end portions to stick to the abutments consequent upon transverse movement of said wedging member moving into shiftable wedging member movable in said frame and having the back edge ci its end portions disposed in opposed relation to said abutment members, said wedging member being arranged with its front edge of a portion thereof intermediate said end portions engageable laterally against said latch bolt for causing further rocking thereof for complete tight closure of the door, a spring engaging said wedging member to move it longitudinally into wedging engagement with said latch bolt. and springy metallic bearing members interposed between said abutments and the back edge of said end portions to normally urge the back edge into spaced relation to said abutments to oppose the tendency of said end portions to stick to the abutments consequent upon transverse movement of said wedging member moving into Wedging engagement and upon vibration of said member in service on a vehicle.

, EDWARD D. DALL. 

